From the office of Senator Lois Wolk:
“The State Senate announced today that it has cut $3 billion from its water bond proposal, Senate Bill 848, responding to requests by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. for a more scaled-down bond.
“This revised version of SB 848 responds to the Governor’s desire for a smaller bond while remaining a comprehensive approach to addressing the state’s critical water needs,” said Senator Lois Wolk, the bill’s author. “At $7.5 billion, SB 848 maintains funding for statewide priorities including water quality and supply reliability projects. The Senate bond continues to help communities enhance their water supply and prepare for drought. It funds storage projects at the same level proposed by the Governor. And, critically, it continues to be tunnel neutral.”
Previously $10.5 billion, the revised Senate bond includes $7.5 billion in funding for a broad range of projects to address California’s critical water needs. Categories were cut by a proportional amount, with the exception of funding for some high priority areas including groundwater sustainability and recycled water. The revised version of SB 848, which will be in print tomorrow, includes $2 billion for storage, the same figure proposed by the Governor. In total, the Governor’s proposal includes $6 billion in funding.
The bill is co-authored by Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Senate President pro Tem-elect Senator Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), Ben Hueso, (D-San Diego), and Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), as well as Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla (D-Concord) and Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D–Oakley), and would replace the $11.1 billion bond written in 2009 that is scheduled to appear on this November’s statewide ballot.
Source: Press Release_ Senate cuts $3 billion from water bond in response to Governor’s request
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